The article will understand why cough with sputum occurs after eating.
Coughing in medicine is considered a typical body reaction to the penetration of foreign bodies and pathogenic irritants into the lower respiratory channels, which is dangerous for life and health. We are talking about sputum, pieces of food and other items. Sometimes reflex processes are false, they are a reaction of the body to the action of external and endogenous factors. In this case, a cough does not help the body, but bothers a person. Reflex contraction of the tissue of the respiratory tract often appears after eating. There are many reasons for this. It is important to emphasize that, according to statistics, cough after eating with sputum is observed in approximately one in ten patients. This is an extremely dangerous phenomenon.
Causes
Cough after eating with sputum can develop for the following reasons:
- The presence of bronchial asthma in a person.
- The development of reflex disease.
- Immunological reaction of the body (it is worth noting that the reflex in each specific situation has its own character).
- The presence of infectious processes in the advanced stage and the like.
- The development of heart failure with a congestive component.
Coughing after eating with sputum can occur as a consequence of these diseases. True, this is not axiomatic.
Possible diseases: reflux esophagitis
This disease is a condition against which a reflux of contents from the region of the stomach to the esophagus occurs. Far casting of particles of undigested food and gastric juice reaching the lower respiratory tract is not ruled out. In this case, partial aspiration may occur in the form of casting contents into the bronchi or lungs.
Reflux is usually observed with belching and is accompanied by heartburn. To get rid of this, the body initiates a cough reflex. Since this is a matter of survival, the response of the body is extremely intense. This disease is often confused with gastritis, which is fundamentally wrong. These are completely different diseases. In case of suspicion of one or another pathological condition, differential diagnosis is required.
The presence of gastritis with high acidity as a factor in coughing after eating
In this case, the mechanism of cough formation after eating with sputum is generally similar to the previous case described. As before, in this case, reflux of gastric contents into the lower respiratory tract can be observed, but if a person has gastritis, the symptoms can intensify at night.
That is, a coughing attack can occur after a couple of hours after eating. In this regard, patients can not always link one to the other. This greatly complicates the diagnosis. Special informative research is required.
Sputum cough as a consequence of an allergic reaction to food
Another cause of coughing after eating with sputum is an allergy.
Allergy is a real scourge for modern humanity. During an allergic reaction, the human body produces a large amount of a special substance (histamine), which destroys cells at a generalized level. It causes itching along with coughing, sneezing and other symptoms. An immunological response may occur after a few minutes from the time of eating foods that are allergenic.
Cough in this case is especially intense, it can be accompanied by shortness of breath, sputum, suffocation, and in addition, pain behind the sternum. In especially severe cases, the onset of anaphylactic shock is not ruled out, followed by death.
Why else does cough with sputum start after eating?
Bronchial asthma
The appearance of cough with sputum after eating can also contribute to bronchial asthma. This disease is a chronic infectious, inflammatory or allergic illness, during which severe obstruction may occur in the form of narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi. This condition is a potentially incurable disease that can cause death in patients. If available, systematic treatment is required. But it is worth noting that the identification of asthmatic processes is not an easy task.
After eating, a cough begins with sputum discharge for various inflammations.
The effect of an infectious inflammatory process
In this case, there is no direct connection between the appearance of cough and the intake of products. Here the place has a lesion of the lower respiratory tract by bacterial agents. Often we are talking about the secondary involvement of the nasopharynx and throat in the pathological process. Food can only irritate these anatomical structures, against which intense coughing can occur.
Absolutely every person who has had a cold has probably met this condition. In this case, urgent treatment is required so as not to provoke the onset of pneumonia or other diseases.
If a cough occurs after a meal, then it is more likely that food is ingested in different quantities in the respiratory tract. The respiratory anatomical structure of a person is structured in such a way that when foreign objects enter, the ciliated epithelium immediately reacts and provokes an intense cough reflex.
Often there is also a cough after eating without sputum.
Concomitant symptoms
It will be possible to suspect a certain pathology or condition not only if you diagnose a problem such as coughing after eating. Additionally, you can focus on the symptoms. In addition to sputum, cough after eating can also be accompanied by such manifestations:
- The appearance of shortness of breath. This phenomenon involves an increase in the number of respiratory movements per minute. It can intensify during physical exertion and remain even in a state of complete rest.
- The occurrence of suffocation. This develops due to intense airway obstruction. As soon as the bronchi narrow, the lumen is smaller, respectively, not enough air is supplied. In addition, gas exchange may be disturbed, and the patient begins to suffocate. This is an extremely dangerous condition, fraught with death.
- The appearance of heartburn. This condition is accompanied by a burning sensation localized in the area of the pharynx. This is explained by the release of a small amount of acid from the stomach beyond. Doctors usually explain this to a sphincter weakness.
- The appearance of belching. In this case, we are talking about the discharge of gases from the stomach. Problems with this hollow organ are very easily recognized. Diseases of the digestive system are accompanied by the presence of an acid burp odor, or one that can take on the smell of a rotten egg, which will indicate intensive production of hydrogen sulfide.
- The appearance of severity in the epigastric region. Such a symptom very often accompanies a digestive system pathology.
- The occurrence of reflux. Against the background of this accompanying symptom, the digestive system is released beyond the anatomical limit. Such a condition is dangerous with possible asphyxiation.
Next, find out what kind of diagnosis is being done to determine the diagnosis.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of cough is usually done by specialist pulmonologists. True, in view of the multiplicity of possible causes of this symptom, it is possible that consultations with specialists such as a gastroenterologist, allergologist, cardiologist and otolaryngologist will be required. At the initial appointment, complaints are assessed along with a medical history. Next comes the turn for objective research:
- Radiography of the chest in order to exclude problems with the bronchi and lungs as well.
- Radiography of the stomach in order to assess the condition of the digestive system and its initial departments.
- Conducting an immunological study and a stress test aimed at identifying allergies.
- Spirography and cardiography.
In addition, other studies are conducted at the discretion of the doctor. The most important thing is to identify the root causes of the cough.
Pathology treatment
When a strong cough with sputum is observed after eating, therapy should be aimed at eliminating the main provoking factors. Symptomatic treatment involves the use of antitussive medications of central and peripheral effects. Specific names of medicines, depending on the main reason, are selected by a specialist.
It is worth noting that coughing after eating is a very common symptom, the causes of which are sometimes not so easy to identify. In any case, a thorough diagnosis will be required to carry out the correct treatment. And treatment, in turn, should be timely. This will certainly allow you to quickly save the patient from excruciating discomfort, and probably from serious health problems.
Reviews
Based on the reviews, it can be said that many people encounter in their life such a problem as cough with sputum that occurs after taking food. Some say that the cause of this is bronchial asthma, while others complain of a reflex disease or an immunological reaction of the body.
People write that in order to combat this symptom, it is first of all important to determine the root cause that provokes its appearance. Depending on this, doctors prescribe one or another treatment.
In addition, as described in the reviews, in this case, symptomatic treatment is necessarily carried out, in which antitussive medications are used to help patients.
We examined why cough with sputum begins after eating.